A murder in 1844 is
the basis for a vendetta. The Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, and several of
his followers died at the hands of a mob in Carthage, Illinois.
Several of the men who escaped the massacre vowed to kill everyone
involved down to the last living descendant.
Michael Bevan, a
rare books dealer, has never heard of the Mormon vendetta, but
Natalie Phelan, his friend and director of the Celtic Heritage
Center, has fallen in love with Emery, one of the descents of the original
Mormon vigilantes. He claims to love her and wants to marry her, but
they need money. He has an original copy of one of the early Mormon
books, which he gives to Michael to authenticate. For Bevan this is
an opportunity to get a book good enough to allow him entry to the
AABA, Antiquarian Book Association of America, but nothing is simple.
This is a fun
mystery with an interesting plot that revolves around an historical
incident. It's a quick read. The characters are interesting. Michael
Bevan is a mix of scholarship and physical ability. The small town he
lives in is like having a vacation from the real world. The other
characters Natalie, and particularly, Michael's lover Josie, are sympathetic and well drawn.
If you enjoy
mysteries with little violence and an interesting historical
plot, you may enjoy this book.
I reviewed this book
for Net Galley.
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